Acknowledge that different levels of creativity exist and offer relevant online experiences to facilitate people’s expressions of creativity at all levels. This means leading, guiding, and providing scaffolds as well as clean slates to encourage people at all levels of creativity. But this is a tall order. For starters, you may want to identify your “makers” and design scaffolds to support their creative expression. If you do this right, the makers may even want to help you guide the “adaptors” and lead the “doers”.

Recognize or reward people for their co-creative efforts, but keep in mind that intrinsic motivation beats extrinsic motivation.

Don’t try to design experiences for people. You can’t. Do provide scaffolds for them to use in creating their own experiences. (more…)

I would say that the attitude and mindset of the people in the company are the biggest challenges. To embrace co-creativity requires that one believes that all people are creative. If those in the company do not believe this, then co-creation will not happen.

The existing power structures in most companies today are built on hierarchy and control. Co-creative thinking threatens the existing power structures. It is very difficult for those who have been successful while being in control to give it up now. The new generation will have an easier time.

(Copenhagen Co’creation asked Liz Sanders to comment on three co-creation challenges. Read the interview with Liz Sanders ‘The right tools for the job’)